The Choice of the SemiBarbaric Princess
by Tsuruko-Chan
Summary: Yet again, another in probably many continuations of “The Lady or the Tiger?”


Yet again, another in probably many continuations of "The Lady or the Tiger?"

By the not-quite-as-barbaric author

The princess, being quick at mind and readily decisive, had, at last minute, come up with an easy solution to her dire problem. For all the nights before, she had thought of nothing but her beloved and his fate; would he die by the sharp teeth of a tiger penetrating his complexioned skin, or would he be wed to a lovely, young bride and be as good as dead to her? Nightmares ceased to help her in this ultimate decision and the way the courtiers acted superficial around her made the ordeal all the more worse. She had a choice at hand, but which fate would she choose for him? Which door would behold his irrevocable destiny?

Time was running out and the princess had still yet to fully recover the mystery of the doors. She needed to know now, nay, she must know now. The days leading up to the trial were enduring for her and time was of no waste. But, as if by pure fate alone, she was given the opportunity to find out what each door would behold. A note had been left in secrecy upon a dresser in her chambers. A note that said, "I know of what you seek and I know of what you yearn. The door upon the left will contain something twice as more horrid as the door upon the right." No signature was noted. The princess at first celebrated at having finally learned! The courtiers and ladies-in-waiting were in quite aw: why was the princess behaving in a fine fashion in such a time as the eminent departure of the man she loves? Had she drunk too much for her age or perhaps she has found a new love in her life; either way all in court whom saw her that morn were confused.

The princess cared not, she had found what she sought; she could tell fate goodbye and take it instead into her own hands! But the rejoicing had soon left in a cold manner of ways when the princess had finally settled down in her magnificent bed. Thoughts had soon rushed into her head; thoughts that drowned her happiness in sorrow. The note had said that what would lie on the left would be worse than what would lie on the right. But were the writer thinking of the tiger in a worse manner than the beautiful lady, or the other way around? And to whom's left and right were they referring: from whence the princess would sit, her left could be someone's right from a different angle. Oh, the tribulation that she now beholds! She still knows not which would hold which and above all, who sent her the note in the first place? It was not the king, her father, for he, of course, would not nor want to know. It couldn't be one of the courtiers, for they thoroughly enjoyed seeing the unpredictable outcomes; nor were it the maids, for they too loved such 'uncorruptable justice'.

Fortune was not in her favor at those times, but now the trial was only a day's time away. She decided to spend it thinking up ways to uncover the secret of the doors, but all hope soon fled her: she would go into the arena a failure in the eyes of her loved one. This saddened her, but then something from her semi-barbaric heritage came into play. She would stop searching for such a stupid thing as to what the mysterious doors held; either way she would lose him in the end.

The trial was now at hand. As had been told prior, the princess had discreetly signaled to her lover in the arena to go forth and choose the door upon the right and accept whatever may lie behind. He was a fool to do her bidding; he knew not that she had not triumphed in finding what she sought. She had done a ritual practiced much by her people in figuring out tough problems that appeared unsolvable. This ritual was normally practiced by the peasants, but the princess chose to use it in her time of need. It goes much like this: "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe. Solve my problem without woe. Choose a fortune fast, not slow. Eeny, meeny, miney, moe." and is done with the back and forth waiving of a finger between the available options. This technique had worked wonderfully for the princess and had chosen for her the right door over the left. And so now the man she loved was fast approaching the right door and with his hand he opened it to 

find – the princess dared not look. Whichever had come out, she did not wish to see. But it was as she had feared, yet secretly hoped. For in all her secret and somewhat barbaric dreams, she had desired this for him. It was the – 

To be continued. . . 

(being that I, the author am as well semi-barbaric and choosing to be barbaric at this very moment in torturing you with, yet again, no outcome. Bwahahahaha!)


End file.
